Wall coverings commonly are manufactured and sold in rolled form having width dimensions of from about 18 inches to 60 inches and length dimensions of from about 8 yards to 14 yards, or more.
Although wall coverings made of paper were more commonly used originally, more durable and more washable wall coverings comprising a bonded laminate of a vinyl film facing material and a reinforcing backing material have replaced the wall coverings of paper to some extent. The backing material is commonly a woven fabric, one prime purpose of which is to provide a stronger base so that the wall covering can be more easily handled and applied to a wall surface with less likelihood of ripping or tearing.
Another prime purpose of the woven fabric backing material is to provide a stronger base so that the wall covering can be more easily stripped and removed from the wall surface when it is desired to replace the wall covering for redecorating purposes.
It is therefore very important that the laminating bond between the facing material and the woven fabric backing material be as strong as possible to minimize delamination or separation of the layers of the laminated wall covering during processing, or during application to the wall, or during use on the wall, or during stripping or removal from the wall.